There will be plenty of NFL football on FOX this Sunday.
FOX’s Week 3 slate features seven games – five in the early window and two more at 4:25 p.m. ET. The matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and the Chicago Bears highlights the slate with Tom Brady and Kevin Burkhardt on the call for “America’s Game of the Week.”
There’s also a playoff rematch at 1 p.m. ET, when the Los Angeles Rams seek to avenge their divisional round loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, with both teams sitting at 2-0 entering the matchup.
Let’s take a closer look at the top stats and storylines to know ahead of all seven games airing on FOX this Sunday.
These teams will meet for the third time since November on Sunday. In the Rams’ last 12 games, they’re 0-2 against the Eagles and 9-1 against everyone else.
The common problem for Los Angeles? Letting Saquon Barkley have four touchdown runs of 60-plus yards in those two losses. There were 10 runs of 70-plus yards in the NFL last year, including the playoffs, and Barkley had three of them, all against the Rams – scores of 70 and 72 in the regular season, then 62 and 78 in the playoffs.
Saquon Barkley ran for two long touchdowns in the Eagles’ playoff win over the Rams last season. (Kara Durrette/Getty Images)
The good news for Los Angeles? The Rams have the NFL’s best scoring defense after two weeks, giving up just 14 points per game.
The key battleground will be in the red zone, with the Eagles scoring a touchdown on 100% of their red zone trips. The Rams’ defense, meanwhile, has only allowed a touchdown on 25% of red zone drives, which is tied for second-best in the league.
Los Angeles just lost corner Ahkello Witherspoon to a broken clavicle, so there’s a vulnerability if Philadelphia wants to throw it more.
Green Bay is on the road and still Sunday’s biggest favorite at 8.5 points. It’s a chance for the Packers to show off what should be a top-five defense now that Micah Parsons is on board, too.
The Browns had the NFL’s No. 1 total defense in 2023, and you’d barely recognize it now. Cleveland’s defense had a league-low four interceptions last season while allowing 26 touchdowns, and through two games, it’s allowed five touchdowns with no interceptions.
Still, Myles Garrett is tied for the NFL lead with 3.5 sacks, while Green Bay’s defense has eight. As for Parsons, he has 1.5 sacks so far this year.
Browns rookie running back Quinshon Judkins had a nice debut last week, rushing for 61 yards on 10 carries. But the Packers have the NFL’s No. 2 run defense, giving up 48 yards per game and 2.4 yards per carry.
Todd Bowles was the Bucs’ defensive coordinator when they won at the Jets in 2021, but this is his first game as a head coach against the team he coached from 2015-18.
Jets quarterback Justin Fields is in concussion protocol and will miss Sunday’s game. So, they’ll turn to 36-year-old Tyrod Taylor, who went 4-2 as a starter against Bowles’ Jets teams.
The Jets’ defense allowed the Bills to rush 224 yards on 43 carries (5.2 yards per carry) in last week’s 30-10 rout, and the Bucs’ run game ranks fifth in the league at 5.1 yards per carry. So, Tampa Bay, with injury issues at both tackle spots, should try to run the ball with Bucky Irving and Rachaad White.
Bucky Irving could be in line for a big day against the Jets. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
The Buccaneers, celebrating their 50th season this year, will wear their creamsicle throwback uniforms – their winless 1976 season included a 34-0 loss to the Jets, where they committed a season-high six turnovers.
Watch out for Buccaneers rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka, who is tied for the league lead with three touchdown catches in his first two NFL games. However, he missed Thursday’s practice.
Raiders rookie Ashton Jeanty rushed for a ridiculous 2,601 rushing yards at Boise State last year, averaging 7.0 yards per carry. So it’s a little surprising that he’s had an underwhelming first two weeks in the NFL, averaging just 2.7 yards per carry. Las Vegas needs improved play from new quarterback Geno Smith, who leads the NFL with four interceptions after throwing three against the Los Angeles Chargers last week.
Jayden Daniels can’t go due to a knee sprain, so Washington will turn to 31-year-old Marcus Mariota. Add up his last seven seasons, and Mariota has 28 touchdowns against 13 interceptions in 19 starts, but he’s only 7-12 in those games.
Can Commanders seventh-round rookie Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt upstage the presumed top back in this rookie class? He had a quiet 17 yards on four carries after going for 82 and a touchdown in the opening win against the Giants.
Carolina’s 0-2 start is compounded by injuries to guard Robert Hunt and center Austin Corbett – it was already 29th in scoring before losing those two starters.
The biggest challenge for the Panthers will be stopping the Falcons’ run game. Last year, Bijan Robinson rushed for 265 yards and four touchdowns in two games against Carolina, which has given up 5.2 yards per carry in its first two games. Atlanta has the league’s No. 4 rushing offense (143 yards/game) and will be looking to avenge a Week 18 overtime loss to Carolina.
Bijan Robinson had two monster performances against the Panthers last season before his strong start to the 2025 campaign. (Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
Bryce Young had the best game of his young NFL career in that game against Atlanta’s defense, throwing for 251 yards and three touchdowns without a pick.
Like scoring? This is the game for you.
The good news for the Cowboys? They rank third in total offense, first on third downs, third in red zone efficiency and fifth in scoring. The bad? They’re 30th in total defense, 30th against the pass, tied for worst on third downs and tied for 29th in scoring defense
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That could be a much-needed spark for Caleb Williams and first-year coach Ben Johnson, but the Bears’ defense just gave up 52 to Detroit. What also might help Chicago’s offense? Get its top two draft picks involved. First-round tight end Colston Loveland and second-round receiver Luther Burden have combined for 14 yards on four catches in their two losses.
The Cardinals swept the 49ers last season, and this stands as a pivotal game in a division where four teams are a combined 7-1 to open the season. It’s also just one of two matchups this weekend where both teams are 2-0, with the Rams-Eagles game being the other.
Is Christian McCaffrey’s versatility really back? He’s gone over 50 yards in both rushing and receiving in both games this year. The last time he did that in back-to-back games, he was in Carolina.
As for Arizona, the ageless Calais Campbell had two sacks in Week 2. He’s only the fourth player ever to do that at age 39 or older, following James Harrison (2017), Bruce Smith (three times in 2002) and Clay Matthews (1996). If Campbell can get to 10 sacks this season, he’d be the first player his age to pull that off. Smith’s nine sacks in 2002 were the most ever for a player age 39 or older.
Greg Auman is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. He previously spent a decade covering the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman.
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